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World's Columbian Exposition Catalog Collection

World's Columbian Exposition Catalog Collection

Held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas, the World’s Columbian Exhibition was held in 1893 in Chicago. Over 600 acres in size and containing over 200 exhibit halls, the fairgrounds were located in the southern part of the city. The Exposition, or World’s Fair had participation from 46 countries and over 27 million people attended during it's 6-month run. The fair was a major cultural event that spotlighted industrial innovations, new consumer goods and new forms of entertainment. Notable firsts for the 1893 Columbian Exhibition included the Ferris Wheel, electric appliances, commemorative coins from the U.S. Mint and such food innovations as Cracker Jack, Shredded Wheat, Quaker Oats, the hamburger and Pabst “Blue Ribbon” beer. Canton boat builder J.H. Rushton exhibited a number of his boats at the world’s fair.
The collection contains catalogs and brochures from several of the exposition pavilions as well as books and magazine articles pertaining to the fair.